Probably my favorite thing about these types of events is actually talking to the artists. Like the one in the cover photo, who was selling mezuzot made of her mother's lace, rescued from the Holocaust.

I had the good fortune to meet Tracy Levesque, a self-taught artist whose work is simply stunning (see photos above and below).

What I appreciated about Tracy was that she made the effort to produce items an average person could buy, like the coasters, which were 4 for $35. As she helpfully explained, you could put them on the wall if you think they're too nice for drinks. Here's a link to her Etsy store. Based on quality alone, I love this art but the populist element adds to its appeal.

Someone was selling salad bowls and I stopped at the exhibit not only because they were beautiful, but also because there was a video running in front of them. I can't even recall what the video was about, only that the bowls were in them, and it was pretty cool. So that is a marketing tactic that worked, because here I am telling you about them.

A number of beautiful fashion exhibits were on display at the festival and I especially liked this dress. The problem however was that it -- like most of the items -- were priced beyond the reach of the average person. (Many of the prices ran into the hundreds of dollars.)

The price of the food was exorbitant as well -- $5 for a single cup of strawberry lemonade, $10 for a plate of sliced potato fries.

From where I sit, if you're holding a community festival you should be sure that all the vendors are offering a reasonably priced set of alternatives to their higher-priced items. It didn't look to me like the crowd was buying such expensive stuff, anyway.

On the subject of money -- let's talk for a second about the entry fee. Especially considering the high prices that vendors were charging for their products, it seems they could have eliminated the minimal $8 (online)/$10 (in person) ticket cost and had the vendors make it up from their revenue.

The setting of the fair was the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. There were many references to animals and 4-H (even painted on the side of one building), but no explanation or integration into the fair. More than once I found myself staring at creepy-looking animal statues and empty horse stalls, wondering exactly what this place was and what had gone on there. Some effort to provide explanatory information for this implicit knowledge base would have been helpful, instead of off-putting.

Regarding artists marketing themselves: Certainly a giveaway stack of postcards would have been great. But these were nowhere to be found. Additionally, On top of this, several exhibitors were visibly upset when we took photos of their beautiful work. Instead of saying: "excuse me!" or "ask permission!" they might have realized that such photos could lead directly to sales.

If you are an artist, encourage people to take a ton of photos, pose with prospective customers, give them your hashtag, and offer a reward for the best photos posted to Instagram!

Similarly, if prospective customers come up to talk to you, don't just stand their woodenly and answer their questions with a single word. You're at a fair -- you're there to be human!

Make the customer your partner in marketing. OBVIOUSLY.

Work with the flow of the river, never against it if you can.

The idea of the artist as an elite reclusive genius is old. And it doesn't apply to 99.99% of the people exhibiting at craft fairs.

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Copyright 2017 by Dannielle Blumenthal, Ph.D. All opinions are Dr. Blumenthal's own. All rights reserved. Photos by the author.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Long story short I wound up taking a freelance job to rewrite someone's resume.

This is something I have not been paid to do in the past, and I priced the job much too low for the time and effort it took. Probably, all told, 10-15 hours.

Here are some of the lessons learned along the way for me. Whether you hire a resume writer or not, they are some practical tips to keep in mind.

The first step is to focus on the practical realities of the job you want to get. For example, do you need to stay in a certain geographic area? Are you wedded to the profession for which you trained? Is there a salary requirement? These are the parameters that will form the outline of the document. The recruiter should know immediately that you want to work within this box.

The second step is to figure out your Myers-Briggs type. It's important to do this because no matter what job you get, if it's out of sync with the way you function happily at work, you will be miserable even if the compensation is high. Just to illustrate, if you're a "people person" you should never take a job that requires lots of reports and compliance activities, unless you have a staff and are prepared to manage them well. The Myers-Briggs assessment can be done on your own, or in conjunction with a tool such as the excellent and free 16personalities.com.

The third step is to write a short profile that describes who you are and what you're looking for. You can think of this as your personal branding statement if you want, but it's really just a simple, plain old synopsis that describes you to a "T." You should look at these bullet points, or short paragraph, and say, "Yes, that is me, exactly."

The fourth step is to gather all possible documentation that can support a strong resume. Documentation means job descriptions, awards, relevant volunteer experience, performance appraisals, recommendations, and so on. Even some notes about your weaknesses is helpful. If it provides a valid picture into who you are, then it helps.

The fifth step is to put all the pieces together into a short, finished document. I used a low-cost tool called MyPerfectResume.com, which walks you through the details of the resume, lets you add profession-appropriate text blocks to the work experience areas, and even offers many clean and eye-catching professional templates for the design.

So what took so long, and why should you hire a resume writer if you can do all this yourself?

The answer is, like everything else, the human factor cannot be automated. Just like there is no automatic formula for setting two people up on a date, there is also no computer that can take your professional experience and automatically spit out a resume that perfectly characterizes your unique value-add.

From a branding perspective, the capacity to assess your personal qualities as versus the worth you bring to the marketplace is invaluable. Having that third party present in some way to walk you through what went wrong and what went well over the course of your career can be the "missing ingredient."

The job of the third party is to work with you, keeping the big picture in mind and staying logical. They should help you come up with what is essentially a personal branding statement that clarifies and cuts through the complexity that is your life. Instead of feeling like a victim of circumstance, you are empowered to reinvent yourself with every job, extracting only that portion which adds value and possibility to your future.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Recently this Israeli eatery opened in Rockville. Let's begin with the fact that the food is excellent. You'll pay a little bit, but you won't go home hungry or unsatisfied.We happen to get the shwarma. (Food photos and reviews at Yelp; here is a helpful listing of all the kosher restaurants in the Washington, DC area.)I visited the eatery several times. When it's not too crowded, the narrow space between the cash register and the wall is tolerable. One time there were a lot of people there, and the experience was uncomfortable for me.

Recently I took a trip to Israel, and was in Petach Tikva to change dollars to Israeli shekels. The crowding was noticeable and uncomfortable for me there as well. The Israelis did not seem to mind it, and pushed their way past me. This happened when I got on the public bus too.Clearly, operating in a small busy space is not my comfort zone, and the employees at Oh Mama do not have that luxury either.

But as I say, I've been there several times, and they do not seem to mind. Sometimes when I go there, I can see them sitting together outside, and then when customers appear, they go back in.There is some thought about the customer here. Most of the people behind the counter are facing a food preparation area when they work. So they wear T-shirts that say, "My Back Is To You, But My Heart Is With You."Let's look at the menu board for a second. Do you know what any of this is? Can you read it quickly?Neither can I.

But it doesn't really matter whether you can read it or not. You can't see much of the food you're getting on your shwarma either. This is where the best aspect of the restaurant becomes clear. The eatery is run by Israelis, and Israelis are very generous people. When we go there, we just ask for our food and say "everything."(Notice the tzedaka, or charity, box up front. Nice touch.)

I do not recommend that you order the food remotely. They have a couple of food delivery service stickers in the window. But I got a more generous portion when I personally stood there waiting for the food.

Overall, if you're anywhere in the area and you like Middle Eastern food, you're going to be happy if you eat at Oh Mama Grill.

This is not a paid endorsement, by the way. None of my posts are, unless I tell you otherwise.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Today we visited the Washington DC Design House, where the area's top local designers pitch in their talents to create a model home for public viewing, with all the proceeds going to charity.

It was an opportunity to a) see the inside of a mansion b) take a lot of photos c) talk to actual designers about the work that they do.

Karen Snyder, of Interiors of Washington (pictured above) designed Area 14, the "Traveler's Retreat." She talked to me about her style, which is a mix of modern, traditional, and "transitional." I asked her what "transitional" means and she said it bridges the gap between the first two.

Basically, she does what the client wants.

Snyder designed the ottoman sitting in front of her. She told me all the details and to be honest with you, they went over my head. But the cost for two of them runs into the thousands, and I have to tell you, the piece really defined the room.

Melanie Hansen, of Margery Wedderburn Interiors, designed Area 2, the "Living Room." She was nice enough to let me take her picture and to talk about her designs. The photo is included because she personifies a strong personal brand. She seems professional, highly qualified, and practiced in the art of posing for the camera without seeming too artificial.

The most notable thing about the room she designed is the pink lollipop statue. Everyone was looking at it and talking about it, probably because it gives off a vaguely naughty air.

Designers seem very into how they found things. As an observer, I frankly tune that stuff out.

I was interested in this blue velour chair in Area 7, "The Study Royale." Lorna Gross, of Lorna Gross Interior Design (contact@lornagross.com), told me that the entire room was designed around this cheap-looking chair, which somehow also comes off as luxurious.

For me, it was the color that just totally popped. I couldn't look away from it.

This room is not so much my taste, but then again I'm not the target audience. I don't get invited to mansions very much...er, make that never.

On the other hand a well-designed bathroom (a.k.a. "powder room") is a thing of beauty. I loved the dark walls against the soothing light and spare white design of this one, by Mary Amons at Mary Amons Design.

Assistant Ryan M. Van Sickel was standing outside and nodded proudly when I asked if this design was his.

There were some interesting characters at this event. Designer Camille Saum, of Camille Saum Interior Design, dressed a bit eccentrically but if you're rich, I think this means that you're a genius.

I did have fun teasing the rich people. At the cafe they were selling these "sandwiches" at $6 for four. "So these aren't sliders, right?" I said to the attendant. "They're munchers."

She didn't think that was funny.

We didn't love the designers' taste in everything. Again, I think this must be a rich Washingtonian thing...the overall concept was "heavy."

But you have to consider that to these people, a garage sale means blazers that cost $172.

I'm throwing in this one from Meena Tharmaratnam at Ibhana Creations, even though I don't know the exact price, because she was very friendly to me.

Let me say that Area 10, "Modern Professional's Stylish Retreat" (which looks like a girl's bedroom) was a was a stunner. The designer, of Anthony Wilder Design/Build, had to wave them off with a stick. Just look at that stunning mini-couch with a Vogueon it.

Designers can sometimes have weird taste in art. Below is one of the pieces I saw. Not all people would appreciate it, but I totally loved it. It's from Area 9, "The Collector's Cabinet," designed by Josh Hildreth of Josh Hildreth Interiors.

Overall I would definitely recommend taking a visit to this secluded mansion in Potomac. It's all for a good cause. The show ends October 29, 2017.

Sunday, October 1, 2017

A Known Name Facilitates An Unknown Purchase

A relatively new academic paper, based on both experimental and field-based research, suggests that early adopters prefer existing brand names for cutting-edge products vs. new brand names for less innovative products.

Obviously, the choice of a name is part of a brand strategy and as the article notes, "choice of an appropriate branding strategy is a critical determinant of new product success."

The researchers note that their findings echo prior research suggesting that when it comes to buying a product they don't know, it is reassuring to find it wrapped in a name they are familiar with.

The issue at hand is whether existing brands should gamble their equity on a new high-technology offering, which may or may not be successful.